Traffic volume falls again in 2011 on Delaware Memorial Bridge

NEW CASTLE, Del. — A combination of bad weather and a sour economy is being cited for another decline in traffic on the Delaware Memorial Bridge during 2011, officials say.

The story was the same on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry.

The bridge and ferry are both operated by the Delaware River and Bay Authority headquartered here.

At the bridge, overall traffic fell 1.2 percent in 2001 when compared to 2010. Non-commercial traffic — passenger vehicles — fell by 1.4 percent while commercial traffic was basically unchanged from the year before.

At the ferry, the drop-off in use was even greater.

Vehicle traffic was down 6.1 percent in 2011 when compared with the year before. Passenger traffic fell by 6.2 percent.

The ferry was totally shut down for four days in late August, the high tourist season, when Hurricane Irene approached the region. The bridge, too, during that time also saw a hit as people halted travel because of the storm.

Snowstorms in early 2011 which caused many to stay off the roads is seen by officials as one area that contributed to fewer vehicles using the bridge.

The weak U.S. economy has also been cited by officials as a reason for the downturn with fewer people traveling and fewer commercial vehicles on the board.

E-ZPass use at the bridge continued to grow in 2011, officials said, up 2.4 percent. At the end of 2011, 63.7 percent of all vehicles passing through the toll plaza are now paying with E-ZPass.

The 2011 decline followed a decline in traffic on the bridge seen in 2009.

Total DRBA revenues for 2011 totaled $108,584,253, $3.5 million short of projected revenues for 2011 of $112,103,401.

The bridge is a Delaware River crossing connecting Pennsville and New Castle.

The ferry connects North Cape May and Lewes, Del., across the Delaware Bay.

Along with the bridge and the ferry, the DRBA operates several regional airports, including facilities in New Castle and Millville, the Three Forts Ferry in Pennsville and the DRBA Salem Business Centre in Carneys Point.

The bi-state authority is governed by a 12-member board of commissioners — six each from New Jersey and Delaware.